This homemade vegan Thai green curry is better than takeout and easy enough for a weeknight! Packed with spicy Thai flavors, crispy pan-fried tofu and tender veggies in a creamy coconut milk base, this easy dinner will become a favorite that you'll want to make again and again.
- 2 tablespoons peanut oil, divided
- 1 (14 ounce) package extra firm tofu, drained, pressed, and cut into 1-inch cubes
- ¼ cup vegan green curry paste, or more to taste (I used ½ cup, but I like intense flavor. Note 1)
- 1 (14 ounce or 400 ml) can full-fat coconut milk
- 1 (14 ounce or 400 ml) can light coconut milk
- 2 cups fresh baby corn (Note 2), cut into 2-inch pieces
- ½ pound asparagus spears, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1 small red bell pepper, roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon organic brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- Salt, to taste (I used ¾ teaspoon)
- ¼ cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- Cooked rice, for serving
-
Coat the bottom of a large nonstick skillet with 1 tablespoon of the oil and place it over medium heat.
-
When the oil is hot, arrange the tofu cubes in a single layer in the skillet.
-
Cook the tofu cubes for about 10 minutes, flipping them once or twice to achieve browning on multiple sides.
-
Transfer the tofu to a plate when it's done cooking
-
While the tofu cooks, coat the bottom of a large pot with the remaining tablespoon of oil and place it over medium heat.
-
Give the oil a minute to heat up, and then stir in the curry paste.
-
Sauté the curry paste for 1 to 2 minutes, until it becomes very fragrant.
-
Stir in both cans of coconut milk. Raise the heat and bring the liquid to a simmer.
-
Stir in the baby corn and let it simmer for about 7 minutes.
-
Stir in the asparagus and bell pepper. Continue simmering for another 3 minutes, until the veggies are tender crisp and the asparagus has become bright green.
-
Stir in the cooked tofu, brown sugar and lime juice.
-
Remove the pot from heat and stir in the cilantro and basil. Season the curry with salt to taste and adjust any other seasonings to your preference.
-
Divide onto plates or into bowls and serve with rice.
- If you're new to cooking with curry paste and not sure how much to use, I recommend starting with a smaller amount. Do a taste-test when the curry is finished, and if you find the curry to be a little bland, you can either (1) sauté a bit more paste in some oil then add it to the curry (don't add it raw), or (2) add more seasonings such as lime juice, cilantro, basil, salt and optionally some hot sauce to increase the flavor.
- Canned baby corn can be substituted if you can't find fresh, but you'll need to add it later during cooking. In step 9 simmer the coconut milk without the baby corn (to reduce the coconut milk a bit), then add the canned baby corn in step 10, along with the asparagus and pepper.
- Nutrition information does not include rice.